The majority of the business is with
truck dealers, but owners of all sizes of trucks still seek
custom-made accessories.

Since the 1980s, the company has
manufactured moose bumpers, which originated in Australia where they
are known as roo bumpers.

“These front protectors keep the cost
of insurance down,” said Ray. “There are five radiators in the
front that can be damaged if you hit something big, like a moose.

“You can end up walking away with at
least light damage and save some downtime with repairs and about
$30,000 getting the truck back in operation.”

The company has contracts with several
companies from one end of the country to the other and organizations
that operate fleets to provide the vehicles with the bumpers and
other accessories. Bush cab shields may look “fancy” but they are
built to protect the trucks.

“We really don’t build for show. We
build them for abuse and we don’t compare our products like the
bumpers to any others. We just do our own quality workmanship,” Ray
said.

With the biggest inventory of aluminum
in Northern Ontario, Mik Mak Fabrication has diversified its products
throughout the years.

It manufactured foldable huts and
aluminum boats that had both industrial and recreational uses due to
their portability.

“The huts could be used for ice
fishing or by diamond drillers and rescue and recovery,” Marc said.

Picnic tables were made for underground
mines which consisted of aluminum and plastic boards so they wouldn’t
be affected by rust. Aluminum drafting tables were sold to various
industries.

“I used to make weather blankets for
the front of the trucks,” Ray said. “But that part of the
business was sold to another company. They were popular back then but
now you don’t need them. The trucks don’t freeze like they used
to.”

The company’s specialty is aluminum
and its work attracts customers from across Canada and from the U.S.

“We add to the local economy because
our customers come here and while we work on their trucks, they stay
in motels and eat in the restaurants. So we aren’t just bringing in
business for us, but also to the local area,” Marc said. “We are
creating spinoffs, especially since trucking is one of the major
industries.”

If the products Mik Mak manufactures
aren’t installed at its shop, they are shipped all over the
country.

With a workforce of 25, employees are
hard to find since the company must compete with area mines for
skilled tradespeople.

“It’s hard finding good talent and
keeping it because of the mines and it is affecting our business,”
Marc said.

“But we have been here for 37 years
and we are good at what we do. That part will never change.”